Savannah, Ga. standout is rated as nation's No. 2 tight end by ESPN

When Jeb Blazevich committed to Georgia last month, the Clemson coaching staff turned its full attention to Milan Richard.

On the second time around, Clemson's Herschel Walker connection worked out.

Richard, a 6-3, 230-pound four-star tight end from Calvary Baptist High in Savannah, Ga., has committed to Clemson over offers from South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss.

Richard - the nephew of Walker, who chose Georgia over Clemson in a hotly contested recruiting battle three decades ago - fills a top-priority need in the Tigers' 2014 recruiting class.

He joins fellow tight end Cannon Smith of Columbia, S.C. as a Clemson commitment. Both players are ranked among the nation's top-five tight end prospects.

Richard is one of a handful of tight ends targeted by the Clemson coaching staff for its second slot at what has become a high-profile position in Chad Morris' offense. Last month, Blazevich - another top-five player at the position - picked Georgia over Clemson. Mark Richt and his staff had allotted just one tight end in its 2014 class, so after Blazevich's commitment, Richard turned his focus to Clemson and South Carolina.

Jeff Scott recruited Richard for the Tigers, with help from tight ends coach Danny Pearman and offensive coordinator Chad Morris.

Richard is ranked as the nation's No. 2 tight end by ESPN, which was first to report his commitment Wednesday evening